Joel C. Smith, LICSW, LCSW, BCD
Joel Smith is the Director of Psychological Health at the 914th Air Refueling Wing at the Niagara Falls Air Force Base. He has nearly 20 years of experience as a Behavioral Health Counselor and is a Board Certified Diplomat through the American Board of Clinical Social Work. In addition, he holds a certificate in Advanced Trauma Treatment and is certified in Individual and Group Crisis Intervention and Response. Prior to his current position, Mr. Smith was a Counselor for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at the Morgantown, WV Vet Center. While at the VA, he worked exclusively with Combat Veterans and their families.
Since 2005, he has been an Adjunct Instructor at the West Virginia State Police Academy where he teaches Critical Incident Stress Management to all new entry level Officers, as well as WV State Police Supervisors completing the Leadership Development Course. Mr. Smith is a retired Police Lieutenant from the Morgantown Police Department, WV, with experience in Command Staff, SWAT, Underwater Search and Recovery, and DEA Task Force. He is a private consultant to Law Enforcement Agencies regarding Critical Incident Stress Management and Traumatic Stress. He is the creator of Developing A Tactical Mind training and the Smith War Wisdom Scale ©. He is the co-owner of Slaughter Smith Tactical Solutions, LLC, a training and consulting company. Mr. Smith is also an FAA rated Commercial Helicopter Pilot and is a part-time Law Enforcement Pilot.
Mr. Smith is a Major in the U.S. Army Reserve where he has served as a Behavioral Health Provider. In 2020, he completed a yearlong deployment to Jordan and Syria where he was the Officer-In-Charge of Behavioral Health for U.S. Forces serving in that region. He is currently assigned to a Medical Training Support Battalion at Fort Dix, NJ
Tamekia (Nikki) Slaughter-Smith, LCSW, BCD, D-CPPP Level IV, D-SAACP Level IV
Nikki Slaughter-Smith is the Integrated Prevention Chief for the 914th Air Refueling Wing at the Niagara Falls Air Force Base. She is a Clinical Social Worker who provides guidance for the Wing regarding violence prevention of Sexual Assault, Suicide Prevention, Child Abuse, Substance Abuse and Domestic Violence.
She also provides annual training to the installation regarding sexual assault, suicide prevention, human trafficking and resilience.
Prior to her current position, Mrs. Slaughter-Smith was the Sexual Assault Response Coordinator (SARC) for the 914th Air Refueling Wing at the Niagara Falls Air Force Base. She is a Social Worker who provided support and advocacy for the base Service Members and DoD civilians who had been sexually assaulted.
She also worked at the Buffalo Veterans Administration from 2008 to 2012. She worked in the outpatient and residential substance abuse program. She was the Veterans Administration Liaison at the Buffalo Veterans Treatment Court. She is now a Veteran Mentor with the court.
Mrs. Slaughter-Smith was employed at Lake Shore Behavioral Health (now Bests elf) from 1998 to 2008 in various intensive services mental health program positions. Ms. Slaughter-Smith was the Program Director of the Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) team from 2005-2008. The team worked with severely and persistently mentally ill people who experienced homelessness, legal problems, substance dependence and many other life stressors. The ACT team clients are a high need population that was regularly involved in mental health and drug treatment courts.
February 26, 2013 Mrs. Slaughter-Smith commissioned as a 1st lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserves. She served as a Clinical Social Worker in a Combat and Operational Stress Control unit from 2013 to 2021. She had her first deployment during 2020 to Erbil, Iraq. She is currently a Major serving with a Medical Training Support Battalion out of Ft. Dix New Jersey.
She is the co-owner of Slaughter Smith Tactical Solutions LLC, a training and consulting agency.
Mrs. Slaughter Smith was the 2021 UBSSW Distinguished Master of Social Work Alumni Award winner. And 2022 School of Social Work Distinguished Alumni Award.